The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-27
PATHS sELF-DENIAL.


PATHS sELF-DENIAL
Strict Regime to Preserve Her voice-Why
She Sings "Home, Sweet Home"
Boston Record
Adelina Patti is forty -four years old, but her
voice is only twenty five years of age. That is
to say, 1t is still fresh. suave and facile as If
she were in her twenty-fifth year instead of IN
her forty year How has she preserved the
marvellous voice with which heaven blessed her
and through her the thousands who have heard
her sing! Is the enduring freshness of this voice
due TO some quality inherent in it. or to some Sc
cret in this singers art of vecalization? To
neither. PATHS voice remains youthful, though
Patti advances in years. because her whole mode
OF life is ordered with the one special purpose OF
preserving. as long as possible. her voice in all
its beauty. Every detail in her daily
routine is considered with this object in
view. Many social pleasures which other sing
ers freely indulge in she abstains from, though
they would afford pleasant relief from the self
imposed monotony of her life. because she
realizes that it is the duty of one upon whom
heaven has bestowed great talent not to waste
that talent. There is really touch of nobility
in PATHS self-denial, in order that she may re-
main as long as possible an exponent of the art
of song.
Once while was conversing with Patti let
ter was handed to her. 1t proved to be an invi-
tation to dinner. She was longing to accept 1t,
but promptly declined it
But" said, you do not sing that evening.
nor even the next"
THAT makes no difference" was the reply.
Il am very careful of my voice. and during the
eight months of the year in which sing l avoid
all social excitements In fact. duringtthe four
months when am not singing rest as much as
possible"
She then went on to say that even during the
four months residence at her castle in Wales
she abstained from social exciteuents, and that
her diet all the year round was arranged of arti-
cles that were nourishing, yet easily digested. as
- 49, A. A. g g.
ing with indigestion could not remain unim-
paired. 81 don't know much Latin" she said,
but know enough to have adopted Vox sans
in corpore sanO as my motto. consider phys
ical health essential to the preservation OF the
voice. Were an invalid taking the waters my
regimen could not be more carefully ordered"
l noticed that she spoke in a key lower. even.
than the ordinary conversational tone, and asked
ii she did SO purposely.
Indeed, l did The days when am to sing
1 do not speak above whisper, and ordinarily
do not speak louder than am speaking to you
now"
do you practice much. now9"
II sing my solfegeios about half an hour a day
When was learning new parts did SO by sing
ing them over to myself quite softly
what place do you consider your home"
Children of the theater, like soldiers, have
no home. We go hither and thither. l had
home only as child, and that homo was in New
York"
Were you fond of music even as child2'
Eyes, as child took piano and singing les
sons; they varied with sewing lessons. For my
mother said voice was uncertain-it might be
lost. So she taught Carlotta and myself how
to sew and made US proficient in other handi-
work"
"Who was your first singing teacherln
"Bariii, my step brother. 1t Is mistake to say
that Strakosch WAS my first singing teacher He
came later to New York. He taught me only
Rosina in III Barbiere.'"
docs your fondness for the theater date from
your childhood!'
Il was taken to the theater often-indeed
| whenever my mother sang. / used to get so ex-
| cited over the performances that / could not
| Sleep When 1 thought all my family asleep 1
| got up, lit a night lamp in front of the mirror
| put on a scarlet coat of my fathers and one of
| my mothers operate hats and went through all
| the gestures / had caught from my mothers
| performances. hummipg over the melodies.
/ Sometimes I got through the whole opera and
| npplauded myself and threw crumpled news
4 papers at myself for bouquets. Once unfortu-
nately. I applauded myself so loudly that l
woke up Carlotta and got scodne."
| How old were you when you made your first
/ appearance
II was seven years old, and the occasion was a
| concert at Tripler Hall. l was SO small that
was put on a table near the piano. sang Una
| Voce' and 'Casta Diva 1 made a success, and
| my parents, who were in want through the dis
| honesty OF an operate manager. made money.
| was really mere child. fifteen years old. when
| I made my debut in Lucia at the Academy of
had to be urged to allow me to appear. He
| thought would not amount to much. The per-
formance was the evening of Thanksgiving day.
Nine. Anna Bishop was advertised to appear at
the matinee. Underneath it said: In the even
ing, debut of Mile. Adelina Patti, in Lucia
di Lammermoor, supported by Brignoli
and Amodio. How proud was of that adver-
tisement Next year l sang in Boston, Pha
delphia and other large cities of the United
States. In 1861 went to Europe" Mime. Patti
also said that Elsa, in ''Lohenerin," she con-
sidered the most exquisite of all operate hero
ines, but that she did not dare to sing Wagners
music for fear of injuring her voice.
do you sing Home, Sweet Home from
sentiment" l asked. ''or merely tor effect
Pardon the bluntness of the question, but
many people say you sing the air merely TO,
effect"
II was born in Madrid Feb 10, 1S43 My
father was Sicilian, my mother a Roman, but
We came to New York in 1874. and the first Ian
guage spoke was English, and, as / said before
my only home was that of my childhood here
Hence sing Home, Sweet Home, for its senti
ment."